Amid rising crashes and traffic deaths in Milwaukee, a Democratic state lawmaker wants to allow the city to use cameras to catch speeders and drivers who blow through red lights.

State Rep. David Crowley (D-Milwaukee) proposed the measure Tuesday afternoon at City Hall flanked by 11 members of the city's Common Council.

"We have had mothers, daughters, sons and fathers lost to this growing epidemic and it’s extremely important that we do everything we can to stop this," Crowley said.

Under state law, police departments statewide are banned from using cameras to enforce traffic signals and speed limits and ticket drivers.

The proposal calls for a five-year pilot program in Milwaukee to guarantee stricter enforcement of traffic laws, reduced cost of enforcement and freeing up officers to focus on "larger crime problems," according to a memo from Crowley's office seeking co-sponsors.

Over the past eight years, the city has seen a 73% increase in traffic fatalities and a 60% drop in traffic citations, the memo says.

Ald. Khalif Rainey described the reckless driving as "red light roulette," saying it makes everyone who travels in the city vulnerable.

“We have people in our community who have decided they don’t care about their lives so therefore they don’t care about the lives of others,” he said.

The Milwaukee Police Department presented this information on Oct. 5 during the Common Council's Public Safety and Health Committee meeting.(Photo11: Milwaukee Police Department)

The aldermen cited a recent study in the Journal of Safety Research that found large cities with red-light cameras have 21% fewer fatal crashes caused by drivers who ignore those traffic signals.

In Chicago, the cameras have contributed to a 40% reduction in crashes causing injuries and death since 2003. Last year, tickets from the red-light cameras at 151 intersections totaled $59 million, while tickets from the speed cameras totaled $51 million.